Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume3 Chapter4

==Chapter 4 - A Knight's Sincerity==

===Part 1===

By the time all of them finished conquering the gigantic parfait, it was already evening.

Kamito, who had returned from Academy Town, turned up at the central auditorium as he had promised Ellis.

Upon waiting a little while, Ellis came running from afar and was out of breath.

"...S-Sorry, I kept you waiting."

"No, I didn't wait that long."

Kamito made a bitter smile at Ellis, who was gasping out of breath.

"Hey, Ellis, you were at the Academy Town just now, weren't you?"

"Y-You saw me!?"

Ellis' ponytail sprung up.

"Ahh, I just happened to see you from the restaurant's window. Was it the Knights' security?"

"No, err... I-I was shopping for various things."

Ahem, Ellis coughed and her face reddened for some reason.

A question mark came to Kamito's mind but... well, that was fine.

"For the time being, if we're going to study, are we going to the library or something?"

"Ah, no... not the library."

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Ellis shook her head in a fluster.

"Hn, not the library? Then, are we going to an empty classroom somewh—"

"...I-It's a room."

"Huh?"

Kamito reflexively did not believe his ears.

"A room..."

"I-I mean, err... I-I want you to teach me in my room!"

Ellis shouted with her face turning bright red.

"..."

"I-Is that a no?"

"No, hey wait, for a boy like me to enter a girl's room..."

"A-A girl..."

In an instant, Ellis made a face like she lost her head over something—

"Ho-However, aren't you staying with Claire Rouge and the others in a room together?"

"No, well... that was the way things turned out."

Kamito scratched the back of his head as he answered.

"O-Or, you don't want to come to the room of a straight-laced girl like me—"

"N-No, there's no such thing!"

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Kamito shook his head in a fluster because Ellis looked a little hurt.

"W-Well then—"

"...Ahh, I got it. I got it. Allow me to enter."

Even as Kamito still did not comprehend anything, he nodded with a bit of desperation.


===Part 2===

Just like that— Kamito was brought along to the Weasel Class' dormitory.

Being the exact opposite of the Raven Class that gathered superior problem children, Weasel Class was a class of diligent honor students.

Ellis' room was, up the stairs, on the second floor of the building.

Ellis coughed in front of the door.

"This is my room. O-Of course, this is the first time a boy is entering it."

"...If you say it like that, I'm getting somewhat tense."

Ellis opened the room's door and muttered an incantation in the spirit language.

In that moment, the ceiling's spirit crystal glowed and the inside of the dim room was brightly illuminated.

The interior design was not so different from Claire's room. However, Ellis' room had been neatly arranged.

"You have tidied up nicely. That's just like the capable Ellis<!--ideally "hardworker Ellis" captures the sentence structure of the original text-->."

"Ahh, that's because if I don't tidy up, my overly-serious roommate will get angry."

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"A roommate more overly-serious than Ellis?..."

It was discourteous to Ellis, but he couldn't imagine it a bit.

"Where is this roommate now?"

"She is away for a few weeks because of a quest from the Academy. If that person was now at this place— you probably wouldn't be able to leave here alive."

While saying something dangerous, Ellis laid out a cushion on the floor for him.

"Make yourself at home. I'll prepare the tea and snacks now."

"Ahh, sorry."

Ellis immediately boiled hot water, and took out hot black tea and snacks.

Despite being an high-class young lady of a great noble family, she was very capable in such areas. Since the Fahrengart family was of a military parentage, she might have received strict training from when she was young.

"This is delicious. Ellis, did you make it?"

"Y-You can say that. It's somewhat my hobby."

Ellis was acting bashfully, like she was a bit embarrassed.

It was a sponge cake sprinkled with black tea powder on the surface. It had a simple taste since its sweetness was mild.

He had known that cooking was her strong point, but it was surprising that she could make such a delicate thing.

"Relax for a while. I'll go make preparations now."

"Hn, what preparations?"

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When Kamito inquired— Ellis drew out her sword at her waist.

With a weird voice filled with intensity,

"It's preparations."

"I-I got it..."

With the sword kept thrust out at the back of his neck, Kamito nodded.

When Ellis disappeared into the next room and Kamito became alone, he sighed a little.

(...What on earth was that?)

As he sipped the black tea that Ellis made, he looked around the interior of the room.

There were neatly folded uniforms and pajamas on top of the bed.

There were lovely teddy-bear and rabbit plushies lined up beside them.

(Surprisingly, she has girlish preferences...)

While thinking about such things, he moved his line of sight, then—

Incidentally, his eyes stopped on top of the writing desk.

A spirit crystal objet d'art, which emitted a faint glow, had been placed near the desk.

(That's—)

Kamito got close, and took it into his hand.

Inside the transparent spirit crystal, various phantoms surfaced and disappeared—

"A spirit crystal that seals memories, huh?..."

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It was an article that could confine the scene in one's memory by putting divine power into it.

The appearance of the same girl had been repeatedly surfacing many times within the spirit crystal.

Her glamorous hair was fluttering and she was holding a jet-black demon sword— the appearance of a very young girl.

"...Eh, isn't that me from three years ago?!"

Kamito reflexively shouted.

Yes, the one who was being reflected in there was without a doubt—

The appearance of the strongest Blade Dancer Ren Ashbell.

(That reminds me, she had said that she admired Ren Ashbell...)

As he made a heavy sigh, he put back the memory-sealing spirit crystal onto the desk.

If Kamito did not make sure that at least his true identity was absolutely not exposed to her—

He would end up destroying a pure girl's dream, which he couldn't bring himself to do.

(...Hn?)

Suddenly, Kamito noticed that the appearance of a girl other than Ren Ashbell was being projected inside the spirit crystal.

She had radiant shiny blonde hair. She was a beautiful girl, who had an ice-like cold look.

The one who was standing bashfully beside the girl was probably Ellis when she was young—

(I have a recollection of this girl somewhere...)

Kamito had his doubts— at that moment.

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"...I-I kept you waiting."

He heard Ellis' voice that seemed like it'll vanish anytime from behind.

"Ellis?"

Kamito turned around—

"..."

His mouth dropped opened.

There was a maid.

"...?"

After Kamito rubbed his eyes, he opened his eyes once more.

...Yes, there was certainly a maid.

She had a tidy dark blue maid uniform matched with a white apron, and a lovely long skirt with frills.

And then, she had a headdress, which was slightly placed on her head.

It was Ellis in complete maid attire.

"Y-You, what on earth..."

Kamito gulped down his saliva, and—

"I-I'm now your exclusive-use maid from now. ...I-Is that alright?"
[[image:STnBD V03 006-007.jpg|thumb]]

Ellis, whose face turned bright red, held the hem of her long skirt and bowed.

Beneath her turned-over skirt, he slightly got a quick look at a black garter belt.

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"Wh—"

Kamito was startled and covered his eyes with both hands in a fluster.

"D-Don't look so much... It's embarrassing."

Ellis' face increasingly reddened, and she rubbed her knees together bashfully.

As she wasn't wearing her armor, her quivering large breasts were being highlighted more than usual.

Kamito was at a lost for words—

Ellis whispered with a seemingly uneasy expression.

"A-As I thought, these kind of clothes... don't suit me?"

"No...err, that's not it."

Kamito said as he averted his eyes.

...Or rather, she was cute. Staggeringly cute.

No, even the usual Ellis was certainly cute but—

He didn't think that Ellis putting on a maid uniform would be so charming.

However, beyond that, Kamito was more bewildered.

"...W-Why a maid uniform?"

"Th-This is an act of sincerity from me..."

"Sincerity?"

Kamito asked in return to Ellis, who had muttered seemingly embarrassed.

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The maid uniform was an act of sincerity... He didn't understand the meaning.

Ellis folded her arms and glared directly at Kamito with her reddish brown pupils.

"I-It's about the quest the other day. As the representative of the Sylphid Knights, I had been thinking that I had to thank you for helping that time. ...Th-This is only as the representative of the Sylphid Knights!"

"No, I had said that I don't need things like thanks. It's natural to help my comrades."

Kamito said that—

"In that case, I won't be able to settle down. Wh-What should I do to be able to offer my thanks... I had been troubled this entire week."

"...Why is it that the outcome is a maid uniform?"

"Umm, upon consulting my team-mates Rakka and Reishia, they told me that it's best that I put on this attire to show my sincerity to you. After all, you're a maniac, who would be excited by such an appearance. I-In the beginning, I also had a problem with it, but devoting my whole body and soul to offer my thanks to the person I'm indebted to is the household precept of my Fahrengart family."

"Why those two, teaching you worthless things..."

Kamito's face twitched. ...In short, Ellis had been tricked by those two.

"Ellis, don't misunderstand. I'm not a maniac who's attracted to maid uniforms."

Kamito tried to resolve the strange misunderstanding, but—

"...Wh-What? That means—"

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It seemed like Ellis interpreted that in a different meaning.

"...To do it, do you mean that?"

"Huh?"

"''Y-You mean for me to put on an even sexier attire, right''?!"

"What are you saying!"

"Kuu, you damn licentious king...!"

"The usage-rights for licentious king is already acquired by the townspeople!?"

"I'll absolutely not give in to such an insolent request!"

Ellis drew out her sword from her waist and quickly thrust it before the back of Kamito's neck.

It seemed like she didn't lose her skills as a knight even though she became a maid. ...That was obvious.

"I-I got it, it really suits you, maid uniforms are the best, maid uniforms hurray!<!--i woulda stuck with bunzai for this part-->"

"...Hmm, That's enough."

As Ellis thrust the tip of her sword before the back of Kamito's neck—

"Come on, Kamito, you can instruct me to do anything you want!"

"You're a pretty proud maid... Well then, Ellis, what can you do?"

"My specialty is thrusting a spear."

"What kind of maid are you...?"

"I can also use a sword, but my expertise is using a spear."

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Ellis proudly puffed her chest out.

"Don't you have anything other than dangerous skills?"

"Cooking is in its own way a specialty."

"Ahh, I see. Well, can I make a request?"

"Of course. What would you like?"

"Let's see... I also have dinner later, so I would like something light and hold-able."

"I got it. Honestly, I was thinking of what to do if you said body sushi<ref>Nyotaimori (Japanese: 女体盛り, "female body presentation"), often referred to as "body sushi", is the practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the body of a woman</ref> but—"

"...Why you."

Kamito groaned with a deadpan look—

Suddenly, he tried asking a thought that came to his mind.

"By the way, does this mean you'll do it if I request it?"

"Y-You insolent person!"

At that moment, the hidden sword, which Ellis let loose, pruned off Kamito's forelocks.

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"...H-How's the taste? ''Master''."

Just like that—

It ended up with Ellis preparing food for Kamito.

As expected of having been trained for the sake of the gentleman she will be married to in the future, from the cooking to the arrangement of food, her skills were very good. ...She was the kind of person whose example he wanted a certain hell cat young lady to follow.

Nevertheless—

"...I beg you. Spare me that way of calling me."

Kamito groaned with a deadpan look.

"Um, even so, those two had said that this is the official way of calling you."

"No, because you have been fooled, you know?"

Kamito grumbled as he chewed on a cheese cutlet of one mouth-size.

It had a crunchy batter that used the first-class wheat flour. The highest grade cheese, which was placed between the meat, was delicious as it melted on top of his tongue.

"...Delicious. Normally delicious."

"Mm, it's normal?..."

Ellis pouted her lips, seemingly frustrated.

"I'm praising you. It's difficult to make normal things normally delicious."

"I-Is that so...!"

Ellis blushed with her chest tightening.

"Ellis would become a good bride."

"...! Wh-What are you saying!"

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Bishuu!*

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She thrust out a fork stuck with a cheese cutlet before Kamito.

"Wh-What are you doing all of a sudden!"

"Hmm, it's because you said something strange!"

Ellis sternly glared at Kamito.

And then—

"...O-Open your mouth."

"Huh?"

Kamito asked back—

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Bishuu, bishuu!*

The godspeed thrusting was unleashed once again.

"Owa!?"

"Don't avoid it! I'm trying to feed you—"

"Trying to feed me... What's with that!?"

"I heard that that's the duty of a maid. Come on, quickly... say 'Ahh'!"

Ellis thrust out the godspeed fork before him.

She had said that thrusting was her specialty, as expected, even for Kamito, it took all his might to dodge.

...Eh, what kind of training was this?!<!--This is narrative, maybe my choice of words isn't good, original text: ......って、なんのトレーニングだ!-->

"It's dangerous, you almost poked my eyes!"

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"Hmm, it's because you're escaping. Don't escape!"

—*Hamuu*.

Finally, the fork was pushed into his mouth.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Mogumogumogu*.

"H-How is it?"

"...Delicious."

Kamito said his honest thoughts—

"Al-Alright, one more mouthful..."

This time she gently moved the fork into his mouth.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Hamuu*.

"Ho-How is it this time?"

"...Ahh, delicious."

Upon nodding once again, Ellis lightly giggled, seemingly delighted.

(...Hmm. This is, as expected, a little embarrassing.)

===Part 3===

By the time that he finished eating Ellis' cooking, it had already turned completely dark outside.

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It was about time he had to make dinner for Claire and the others, who were waiting at the dormitory.

When he informed Ellis about that matter...she made a slightly disappointed face.

After helping Ellis tidy up the tableware, he and Ellis, who changed into her uniform, went outside the dormitory.

The moment Ellis took off her maid uniform, she suddenly seemed to be embarrassed by her recent actions, so as she walked on the path shone by the moonlight, she hung her head down the whole time.

...Naturally, just like her, Kamito was also embarrassed.

"I apologize for overstaying. Your cooking was delicious."

"Yes, I'm glad that I could properly express my gratitude to you. Because today is probably the last chance I can invite you to my room."

"What do you mean?"

"It's about the roommate I talked about just now. She'll be finishing her quest and returning very soon."

"Is your roommate that scary?"

Upon saying that, Ellis' expression slightly darkened.

"Velsaria Eva Fahrengart— She's my older stepsister, by two-years. She's also the former captain of the Sylphid Knights."

"Velsaria..."

Kamito was startled. That name was, if he wasn't mistaken, what Claire was talking—

"The academy's strongest elementalist... is actually your sister, Ellis!?"

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"Yes, it's not like we're blood related. She was once also expected to become a future {{Furigana|Twelve Knight Commander|Numbers|margin=12}} candidate, but— after she was defeated by that Ren Ashbell in the first match at the Blade Dance three years ago, that story had also disappeared."

"...!?"

"What's the matter? Do you know about my sister?"

"...N-No, it's nothing."

Kamito shook his head in a fluster.

(...I see, no wonder I had the memory that I heard that name before.)

—He remembered. She was the opponent of the first match of the Blade Dance three years ago.

She was a girl with a beautiful face of ice and beautiful blonde hair.

"...My sister is like the person who embodied the image of the knight that I try to idealize."

Ellis exhaled a white breath as she muttered.

"However, now that person—"

Muttering like in a monologue— Ellis stopped her steps there.

They had arrived before the gate of the Raven Class dormitory.

Kamito looked up, and the window of Claire's room had light.

"Ellis, thank you for today. Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Ah-Ahh, wait—"

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Kamito waved his hand and walked off towards the dormitory.

At that moment, when he walked for a little while on the path leading to the building of the dormitory.

"...Ka-Kamito!"

Ellis called Kamito to a halt from behind.

It wasn't her usual frigid voice. It was the voice like an urgent scream.

"...Ellis?"

Kamito turned around—

"Ah..."

Ellis widened her eyes and was surprised.

Why did she show that expression— even she didn't understand why she called out to him.

"What's the matter?"

"No, err..."

"Um?"

Kamito became concerned and approached—

"...!"

Ellis —as though she had made a resolution of something important— took in a deep breath.

"Th-The truth is I have a favor to ask you, but..."

"A favor?"

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Kamito frowned and asked back.

What came to his mind was— the incident before he received the quest on the Mine Town two weeks ago.

Ellis was trying to scout Kamito into her team.

Kamito, who had already assembled a team with Claire, plainly rejected her, but now that her two comrades became unable to participate in the opposition battles, she might try to scout him once again.

While Kamito scratched his head as he was troubled, he shook his head.

"Ellis, sorry, but I can't join your..."

"Th-That's not it!"

Ellis' face reddened as she shouted. ..It seemed that he had jumped to a wrong conclusion.

"Then..."

"Kamito, err... do you feel like joining the Sylphid Knights?"

"The Knights?"

Kamito spontaneously asked back at those unexpected words.

The Sylphid Knights— An elite student organization that guarded the public order and morals of the academy.

(For me to join it... What on earth does this mean?)

Ellis gazed at Kamito awkwardly.

"Err...it's just until my comrades come back, I would want you to assist the Knights."

Kamito recalled the things he talked with Ellis during this morning's supplementary lecture.

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As a result of the attack incident the other day, including Ellis' two teammates, seven knights were forced to withdraw from the Sylphid Knights. The Sylphid Knights, which had lost a third of its members, was now in a state that it was not functioning normally.

Indeed, as an acquaintance and besides as someone whose ability as an elementalist she also understood, Kamito could understand the reason she wanted to scout him.

"Of course, I won't say it's for free. As a member of the Knights, you'll be paid a proper salary."

"...Why me? If you set up recruitment, won't there be girls applying?"

"We are having a recruitment, but there are practically no applicants. We had gathered people during the period the freshmen came in, but— even so, more than half had resigned immediately."

"Is that so..."

It seemed that the work of the Sylphid Knights was something greater than they had imagined. On top of the dangers, and on top of the so-called work of guarding the academy's public morals, there might also be cases where they were being looked at with hostility from the other academy students.

"Furthermore, due to the attack incident the other day, the trust in the Knights has been greatly falling. Although we got all the casualties out, in the end, we couldn't capture the assailant."

Ellis bit her lips seemingly vexed.

"I applied for the quest of arresting Jio Inzagi with the plan of overturning such assessment towards the Knights but— the result was that sorry plight. If you all didn't help at that time, we would certainly be annihilated."

Her reddish brown pupils became wet and were slightly quivering.

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Without a doubt, Ellis was enduring the voices of criticism aimed at the Knights all this time.

Surely, she was enduring it just by herself without anyone she could ask for advice.

As that was the duty of the captain, and she was condemning herself.

(...I see. She's insecure. She surely can't help but be frightened as she's insecure.)

It was the responsibility and heavy pressure that came with the position as the captain.

There should be voices of doubts being raised at her, an elementary student, serving as the captain.

She conducted herself strictly for the sake of guarding the order of the academy and might have even made enemies.

She had also been holding back those voices by displaying her ability so far.

However, that trust was swaying now.

Besides, her teammates and comrades who had always kept supporting her.

Rakka and Reishia were also not present now.

(...She is also a girl, who's yet to be sixteen.)

Being covered by her knights shoulder plate was the girl's slender shoulders.

How much of a heavy pressure was she carrying on those shoulders of hers—

"...The truth is I'm afraid."

Ellis looked downwards as she said that.

"Have I been able to do the right thing as a knight? Am I misusing the authority of the Knights and merely repressing the ones whom I should protect, with power?"

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Her blue ponytail hair was swaying in the gentle breeze.

It was almost like it was revealing Ellis' heart.

"I want help" —She didn't say that.

That was surely her last strand of pride.

Kamito—

"...I got it. It's just until those two come back, right?"

"I-Is that alright? ...Really?"

Ellis opened her reddish brown eyes.

"Ahh."

Kamito firmly nodded once again.

Honestly, he didn't think that he'd be cut out for things like the Knights that guarded the public morals. Besides, if he considered about the Blade Dance coming in a few weeks, he shouldn't have the room to be using his time for such things.

However, upon seeing Ellis reduced to a state where she was going to be crushed at any time—

He wanted to assist this sincere but clumsy girl knight even a little.

"...Y-You have my thanks. Kazehaya Kamito."

Ellis bowed down with an expression like she's going to cry at any time.

Kamito made a bitter smile at Ellis, who was conscientious even at such a time.

"Ahh, that's right. I have a favor to ask of you."

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"What is it?"

"Err, about the remuneration you mention just now, is it possible for something like an advance?"

===Part 4===

Parting with Ellis, Kamito returned to the room—

Claire was wearing a cute apron and was standing in the kitchen just like in the morning.

There was a sweet yet slightly burned smell. He heard the sound of something simmering.

Quietly concealing his footsteps, Kamito approached Claire's back.

"Hn, are you making chocolate again?"

"Fuaa, Ka-Kamito!?"

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pyon*, her red twintailed hair sprung up.

"Id-Idiot, don't startle me! I'll turn you into cinders!"

Claire's face turned bright red, and *pishi* *pishi* she swung her whip. Kamito avoided it in a fluster.

"...Good grief, where did you go? Your supplementary lecture should have been long over, right?"

"What? Are you already hungry?"

"Th-That's not the problem, you are my slave spirit, so without your master's permission, you can't totter around as you please!"

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"...Am I a dog?"

Kamito breathed a sigh of disappointment.

"I went over to Ellis' place, and it resulted in me being treated to a little meal."

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Pishi*— Claire was petrified.

"...What...was that?"

"Ahh, it seems to be an expression of gratitude for helping her the other day. What a conscientious person."

As expected, he hid the matter about the maid uniform for the sake of Ellis' honor—

"I-I see, you were treated...really?"

Claire's face twitched.

"I also helped and yet... she only invited Kamito."

"Didn't you receive a box of cakes from the Knights? An assorted box of macaroons. If I'm not mistaken, you ate all of it by yourself."

"Th-That was certainly delicious... Eh, that's not the problem, what do you mean by you went over to Ellis' place? D-Don't tell me, you went up to her room?"

"Yeah, Ellis' room is properly tidied up. You should also follow her example—"

"I-I can't believe you...!"

Claire's slender shoulders trembled.

She tightly bit her cherry-colored lips, tears were slightly appearing on her ruby pupils.

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"...Claire?"

"Y-You've been successfully seduced by things like Ellis' breasts and were degraded to being the Knights' dog, right?"

"No, what breasts....? Well, although, I was invited to join the Knights."

"—Huh?"

This time— Claire completely became stiff.

"Wh-What's that...? What do you mean?"

"Hn, currently, the Knights seem to be shorthanded of people. I was asked to assist them."

"O-Of course, you rejected her, right? You rejected her...right?"

Claire tightly grabbed Kamito's arm, and was gazing at him with a serious expression.

As Kamito scratched his head—

"No, I decided to assist them. I also have various obligations to Ellis."

"...!?"

While Claire kept hold of Kamito's arm, she was taken aback and widened her eyes.

The truth was that he had another reason to accept it but—

It was embarrassing to tell Claire that now.

"I apologize for deciding without your permission, but it's not particularly a problem, right?"

"There's no way it isn't, you know that I'm on bad terms with the Knights, right!"

"That's because you cause problems—"

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Then, Kamito noticed.

Claire's fingertips that were grabbing his arm were trembling bit by bit.

"...I see, you're on Ellis' side again."

Claire calmly muttered.

"No, it's not whether I'm on her side or not—"

"...You said so, and yet."

"Eh?"

"Despite that you said— ''<nowiki>'</nowiki>I'll be your contracted spirit<nowiki>'</nowiki>''."

Claire raised her face, and drops of tears overflowed from her pupils.

"Y-You..."

"That's enough, get out—"

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Don*— Claire thrust Kamito away.

"Hey, Claire..."

"Quickly get out! I-I hate people like you, I really hate you!"

A red hot fireball was released from Claire's palm.

"Owa!"

A showy explosion resounded, and a gaping wide hole was opened in the wall behind Kamito.

"He-Hey, wait, why are you that angry?"

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"Shut up, idiot, get out——!"

This time she began reciting a spirit magic of the strongest class, so Kamito got out in a fluster.

If Claire made a serious effort, she'd be quite capable of blowing this very dormitory away.

After running to the outside of the dormitory and taking refuge, Kamito sighed.

"Wh-What on earth was that..."

Why was Claire that angry?...It was incomprehensible.

(...Is she that displeased with me joining the Knights?)

He looked up at the window of the room on the second floor, but— he didn't see Claire there.

Before long, the window's curtains were closed.

(...Ahh, if she's become like this, she won't listen.)

Claire Rouge. She was a girl almost like a blazing flame.

(Well, however, that's the part that suits her best...)

Kamito took a deep sigh once again—

He left behind the Raven Class dormitory with heavy footsteps.

===Part 5===
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After chasing Kamito out—

"I hate that guy, I hate that guy... I hate him so much!"

Claire fell onto the bed.

Pressing her soft pillow onto her cheeks, she tightly grabbed her sheets.

Scarlet turned up seemingly worried, but Claire drove her away without a word. She didn't want even her contracted spirit, who had been with her all this time from when she was young, to see her crying face now.

"What... I look like a fool."

For several days, she had been practicing how to make chocolate all this time.

(I-It's of course out of obligation. The chocolate that I'll give him out of obligation.)

The practicing had effect, as she had been gradually been able to make them well.

Although she had stopped making a large amount of cinders, it should be good enough for her to be praised.

On the actual day, tomorrow morning, she planned to give Kamito the chocolate that she made the most well-done.

"You did well." ...She wanted to be praised.

(And yet, he...)

Claire groaned, and struck her pillow. *Posu posu*.

(...The meal that Ellis made is certainly better than things like my chocolate.)

It was vexing. Her mind was jumbled up, and although she didn't understand what was vexing, it was vexing.

"...I'm such a detestable person."

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She understood. She definitely had no ill feelings towards Kamito. Really, there was no doubt that he merely thought of being helpful to Ellis and decided to join the Knights.

He was that kind of person.

Even Claire did not particularly hate Ellis. Of course, they weren't on good terms, but she recognized that she was a proud elementalist.

However, it made her very angry for some reason.

(...Why?)

She understood the reason.

She had been thinking that she was the more special being to Kamito.

(After all, he had said that he would be my contracted spirit.)

Pressing softly on her lips with her fingertip, her cheeks quickly became hot.

(Besides, w-we even... kissed.)

It became a painful feeling like her chest was tightly constricted.

(...But, that's wrong.)

It did not mean that only Claire was particularly special.

As long as there were girls being troubled, he would extend his hand to anyone, no matter who.<!--誰にだってあいつは手を差しのべるのだ。-->

(It's because I'm that Calamity Queen's sister—)

He might just think that her circumstances were pitiful, and was just sympathizing with her.

<!--108-->
Upon thinking that, Claire became excessively lonely.

Kamito surely didn't understand why Claire was that angry.

Claire also didn't clearly understand why she got such feelings.

Her current feelings were almost like the smoldering fire of a hearth.

...These weren't Claire Rouge's flames.

At that time, there was the sound of the room's door opening.

"Kamito!?"

Claire energetically lifted her face from her pillow, but—

The one, who was there, was Fianna with a puzzled expression.

It seemed like she had returned from her shopping duty for dinner.

Claire covered her face with her pillow in a fluster. She didn't want her to see her tear-stained face.

Fianna took a look at Claire's current state— and seemed to have guessed the situation somehow.

"Ehh, you quarreled with Kamito?"

"...Go away."

Keeping her face covered in the pillow, Claire said.

Fianna sighed, sat on the bed and placed her hand on Claire's head.

"I said leave me alone, didn't I"

"You're really a kid. Vastly different from Rubia-sama."

<!--109-->
"Either way, I'm different from nee-sama."

Claire retorted peevishly.

"Hey, Claire, why don't you be a little more honest?"

"I-I apologize that I'm not honest... After all, even my breasts are small."

"Huh? Nobody said anything about breast, you know?"

As Fianna softly brushed Claire's head like a kitten, she sighed.

"What do we do about dinner?"

===Part 6===

At that very moment— Ellis was rolling on her bed in agony.

"..., I-I was wearing such an embarrassing attire."

She spread the maid uniform she wore just now, and bashfully blushed. Even if it was for the sake of rewarding him for her debt of gratitude, this was, as expected, overkill, wasn't it?

"B-But..."

Ellis tightly grasped the maid uniform—

"Kamito said that it suited me... "

Recalling it, her cheeks reflexively relaxed.

<!--110-->
Ellis opened her eyes as she was taken aback, and slapped her cheeks with both hands.

"I-I'm the Captain! If I'm not firm, I can't be an example to everyone!"

A knight of the Fahrengart family must never show her weaknesses.

Ellis Fahrengart had always done so.

However—

(I've shown it to him...)

She had never even shown that side of hers, which was frightened by insecurity, in front of the comrades she trusted.

Truthfully, she had no intention of inviting Kamito to the Knights— until that moment.

However, when she saw his back as he was about to leave, she subconsciously called out to him.

(...I wonder why? I also don't understand it well myself.)

In the beginning, she had been thinking that things like male elementalists were an enemy, who would disrupt the public morals of the academy.

Since when did she, so strangely, start caring about him?

When she thought about Kazehaya Kamito, her chest constricted and hurt for some reason.

Such a feeling was a first for Ellis, who was raised up as a knight.

Incidentally, she glanced at the top of the table.

A nicely wrapped-up chocolate was lying there.

Tomorrow was the Valentia Holy Festival.

<!--111-->
The day to give chocolate to the opposite sex that held a place in one's mind—

(...I-It's a gift for enrolling into the Knights. Naturally, there's no other meaning than that.)

Ellis groaned spontaneously.

If that was the case, she shouldn't be that tensed, but the throbbing in her chest wouldn't stop for some reason.

(...Wh-When would it be good to hand it over?)

After all, it was the first time she was doing such a thing, so she didn't know what she should do.

"...H-He wouldn't think that I'm a strange girl, right?"

"—What's strange, Ellis?"

Suddenly, a voice like frozen cold air was heard.

"...!?"

Before she knew it, the room's door was opened—

And, over there— she was standing.

She had shiny blonde hair and cool-headed ice-blue pupils.

"Ah, esteemed sister...!"

"What kind of cowardly face are you making? And yet you call yourself a knight of the Fahrengart family?"<!--「なにを腑抜けた顔をしている。それでもファーレンガルト家の騎士か」-->

She was the academy's strongest elementalist— Velsaria Eva Fahrengart.


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===References and Translation Notes===
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